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The Washing Society
- Format:
- Video
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Laundry workers--New York (State)--New York.
- Laundry workers.
- Self-service laundries--New York (State)--New York.
- Self-service laundries.
- Physical Description:
- 1 online resource (44 min.)
- Distribution:
- New York, N.Y. Grasshopper Film
- Place of Publication:
- San Francisco Canyon Cinema 2024
- Summary:
- When you drop off a bag of dirty laundry, who's doing the washing and folding? THE WASHING SOCIETY brings us into New York City laundromats and the experiences of the people who work there. Collaborating together for the first time, filmmaker Lynne Sachs and playwright Lizzie Olesker observe the disappearing public space of the neighborhood laundromat and the continual, intimate labor that happens there. Inspired by To 'Joy My Freedom author Tera Hunter's depiction of the 1881 organization of African-American laundresses in Atlanta, Sachs and Olesker's film THE WASHING SOCIETY investigates the intersection of history, underpaid work, immigration, and the sheer math of doing laundry. Drawing on each other's artistic practices, Sachs and Olesker present a stark yet poetic vision of those whose working lives often go unrecognized, turning a lens onto their hidden stories, which are often overlooked. Dirt, skin, lint, stains, money, and time are thematically interwoven into the very fabric of THE WASHING SOCIETY through interviews and observational moments. With original music by sound artist Stephen Vitiello, the film explores the slippery relationship between the real and the re-enacted with layers of dramatic dialogue and gestural choreography. The juxtaposition of narrative and documentary elements in THE WASHING SOCIETY creates a dream-like, yet hyper-real portrayal of a day in the life of a laundry worker, both past and present
- Participant:
- Jasmine Holloway, Veraalba Santa, Ching Valdes-Aran, Tony Torn.
- Credits:
- Cinematographer, Sean Hanley ; editor, Amanda Katz ; music, Stephen Vitiello ; original text Lizzie Olesker and Lynne Sachs.
- Notes:
- Description based on online resource; title from title screen
- OCLC:
- 1422278396
- Access Restriction:
- Restricted for use by site license
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